How To Transfer Files Between Nearby Smartphones

How To Transfer Files Between Nearby Smartphones

There were variety of ways to transfer photos or files between nearby smartphones; but they're not simple and the method of transfers are not interoperable. Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone has their own ways to transfer files.

 

NFC: Any Android device running on 4.1 or later version and included a NFC chip inside then able to send files via NFC using Android Beam, a feature from Android mobile OS.

Android Beam allows the rapid short-range exchange of web bookmarks, contact info, directions, YouTube videos, and other data. Just open the file or photo then press the phones back to back and you'll be prompted for the file or photo will 'beam' to other phone!

This is great and quickly sending photos; but it couldn't send every type of file and having limitations in beaming of YouTube via Android YouTube app or on other platforms of specific data could not be sent as it requires Android Beam on other devices, too. A faster connection is also needed to send a larger sizes of video or photo via NFC as the Android Beam is limited in beaming of photos or videos onto other platforms, which were not currently supported.

iPhone doesn't integrated with NFC; so, they couldn't work on NFC. Blackberry and Windows Phone's are even included NFC but Android Beam couldn't send files with them. But Windows Phone devices could able to send files between each other by NFC.
 

Bluetooth: All the smartphones, generally, has equipped Bluetooth hardware, which could be used to transfer files between nearby devices and working across all smartphone platforms.

Android supports Bluetooth file transfers by setting up Bluetooth pairing between two devices. Both Blackberry and Windows Phone 8 has also been supporting Bluetooth file transfers while iOS and its devices has not updated.

To share a file, over Android, just open the file that you wish to share and view it then tap the share button and then select Bluetooth option. Before sharing, both devices should be to set Bluetooth pairing.
 

E mailing: E mail is, still, most reliable and easy way in sharing your files over smartphones when comparing third-party Apps, which even well developed and sophisticated software.

 

So, e mailing a file is the best way to share a file with anyone using any smartphone. Just open your e mail from smartphone, attach the file and send to other person's e mail address. The other person will get the file in his e mail's inbox on his smartphone.

 

Apple may refuse in supporting some standard methods of file sharing such as NFC or Bluetooth; but using AirDrop, a Wi-Fi ad-hoc service that supports Mac computers running OS X 10.7 or later and iOS devices running iOS 7 or later, will show other iPhone's in your nearby area and allowing to share files, other data between them.

 

Using third-party services: Hardware based methods are so incompatible across devices, and running platforms, too. So, you should rely on some online services to share the files, photos, videos and even links. dropbox, whatsapp, viber and some other services will work excellent. 

 

There will be a wide variety of third-party Apps, available in Apps store, to sharing files over Wi-Fi using any smartphone and generally, you should have to run the same App as the other person using.
 

Above said methods are not ideal for larger files such as music collections, which you wish to copy to a nearby phone.

In these situations, it is preferable to connect your phone to a computer then copy the files on computer; and then connect the other person's phone to computer and copy the files onto the other phone.